Stabilizer for sickle guards



April 21, 1959 i J. s. NAERY STABILIZER FOR SICKLE GUARDS Original Filpd D90. 5. 1955 cz fin S. Naery STABILIZER FOR SICKLE GUARDS John S. Naery, Racine, Wis., assignor to J. I. Case Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin 2 Claims. (Cl. 56-307) This invention relates to cutter bars generally employed on mowers, combines and windrowers, for severing standing crops, and especially to a means of stabilizing the sickle guard fingers against lateral rotation about their fastening bolts. This invention is especially adapted to provide stabilizing means for guards fabricated of sheet metal, which are coming into universal use as a substitute for the cast or forged types of guards well known in the industry in the past. However, it is within the scope of this invention to apply it to use with cast or forged sickle guards of suitable design.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 551,130, filed December 5, 1955, by John S. Naery.

Cast or forged guards are usually provided with laterally-extending fingers on each side. These fingers abut the corresponding finger of the adjoining guard so that a lateral-force applied to a guard is met by the finger of the adjoining guard and the accumulated resistance of the other guards. However, if a lateral force is applied to a guard located near the end of the cutter bar, and directed toward the end, the accumulative support of the adjoining guards may be insufiicient to resist the force, and the guards may rotate about their fastening means.

This invention comprises a stabilizing means that is a unitary member extending the full length of the cutter bar or a multiple of guards. This means provides lateral support for each guard independently of the adjoining guard.

An object of this invention is to provide a means of stabilizing sickle guards against rotation about their fastening means.

Another object is to provide a means of stabilizing sickle guards that will serve to strengthen them against bending.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stabilizing means that will serve to resist forces tending to rotate the guard about its fastening means Whether the guard is at the end of the cutter bar or more centrally located, thus securing all guards integrally together.

Another object is to provide means for uniformly spacing the sickle guards.

Another object is to simplify the mounting of the ledger plate.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view, with parts shown in section, of a cutter bar with parts broken away, and showing the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken at 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view,

United States Patent which the crop falls as it is cut.

2,882,671 Patented Apr. 21 1959 with parts shown in section, of the stabilizer of the invention detached from the sickle guards.

Fig. 4 is a section taken at 4-4 of Fig. 1. Referring again to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 is a fragment 0 the frame of an implement to which the cutter bar 12 is secured. Frame 10, in this instance, comprises a lon gitudinal angle member 14 having a vertical web 16 and a horizontal web 18. A platform sheet 20 extends the length of the cutter bar and provides the platform upon Sheet 20 is not an important element of this invention so it will not be further described unless necessary in order to clearly set forth the invention.

The cutter bar 12 comprises a plurality of laterally spaced sickle guards 22 extending normal to angle member 14 and abutting vertical web 16 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Guards 22 are of pressed metal, preferably steel in this instance, of a U-shaped transverse cross section clearly shown in Fig. 4, and having transversely-spaced walls 23. A square hole 24 is provided in each guard adjacent the end adjoining the web 16. A bolt 26 is passed through square holes in sheet 20 and in the horizontal web 18 of angle members 14 and through hole 24 in guard 22; bolt 26 having a square shank portion to conform to the square holes.

A ledger plate 28 provides the stationary cutting memher and rests upon the horizontal edges 30 of walls 23. A narrow portion 32 is provided on ledger plate 28 to furnish lateral stability at the forward end of the plate. Portion 32 fits closely within the point of guard 22 between walls 23. A hole at the opposite end of ledger plate 28 permits passage of bolt 26, and a washer 34 and nut 36 completes the assembly of the guard 22 to angle member 14.

The horizontal edges 30 of walls 23 are provided with transverse notches 38 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, spaced forwardly from bolt 26. Notches 38 of all guards 22 are transversely aligned for reasons that will appear from the description, and are provided with vertical fore-andaft walls 39, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The gist of the invention is the longitudinal continuous stabilizing bar 40 which extends the full length of the cutter bar 12. Bar 40 is of a width such as will closely fit in notch 38 and be flush with the horizontal surfaces 30, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that ledger plates 28 can lie flatly upon surfaces 30.

Bar 40 extends the entire length of cutter bar 12 and is provided with spaced notches 42 having side walls 44. When bar 40 is inserted in notches 38, the walls 44 of notches 42 contact the outer surfaces of guards 22 closely so as to resist lateral forces tending to rotate the guards about bolts 26, and also to resist forces tending to bend the guards laterally.

The conventional sickle bar 46 abuts the edge of web 18 of angle member 14 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Sickle sections 48 are secured to bar 46 by rivets 50.

In summarizing, it will be seen that this invention provides an efiective and simple means of giving lateral support for sickle guards against impact of stones, or bunching of grain that tend to bend or pivot the guards in a lateral direction. This invention is especially novel in that it provides a simple unitary means of supporting all guards so that lateral forces applied against one will be met by the others accumulatively.

Considered within the purview of this invention is the possibility of using suitably-designed cast or forged sickle guards in lieu of the stamped type, and it is also understood that the stabilizer bar can be in several abutting sections for economical manufacture.

The above being a complete description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new 3 and desired to be. secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

'1. An improvement in a cutter bar for a harvester having a transverse frame member and forwardlyexten iag spaced g ar a d guard h ving upwardlyextending side faces and horizontal uppfir edges, and provided with transverse horizontal recesses in said edges, a lon itudi me b r w eusi e w t said ba and fi ed. n said ec sses n b ing provid w th no che defining W lls, id Walls extending forwardly and embracing said side faces to prevent lateral displacement of sai gua ds, and a l d P t n a d ges t retain sa d ong t d a mem e in sa d e s es.

2. An mp o eme t n a c t bar for a harveste ha ing a. ransverse frame memb an a p ral ty of te wa'rd y-exteuding sp ed guar s, each of said guard having substantially vertical side faces and horizontal upper edges, said guards provided with transverse recesses in said upper edges, a longitudinal member co-extensive with a plurality of said guards being fitted in said recesses and being provided with notches defining walls, the said walls extending along the exterior surfaces of said side faces to prevent lateral displacement of said guard member, and a ledger plate resting on said edges and retaining said longitudinal member in said recesses.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 594,477 Klossneret al. Nov. 30, 1897 1,601,826 Grilfin Oct. 5, 1926 2,637,158 Hjauswirth May 5, 1953 

